Indianapolis Colts – Jim Irsay’s Tweets Show It’s Time for Someone to Tell Him a Different Version of the Truth

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by Kent Sterling

Like any billionaire, Indianapolis Colts Owner Jim Irsay has a lot of people near him who nod up and down all damn day telling him how smart he is.  It’s time for some tough love for a good man.

There are people on Twitter who like to share their thoughts, and others who get a thrill out of poking a big bear.  Colts owner Jim Irsay is a big bear and people like to take shots at him periodically to see if they can get a rise out of him.

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That’s what makes Twitter dangerous, although not for Irsay because owners are bulletproof.  Irsay is beyond being fired for irrational tweets, and that’s a good thing.  People pay attention to Irsay’s tweets because he shares often, whimsically, and occasionally with some ill-temper.

He also answered those who believed him to be drunk last night.  There was a shot of Irsay in his suite as he ranted and gestured wildly.  I would never accuse anyone of being drunk or drugged because of a seven second piece of video.  It’s irresponsible and mean-spirited, but others inferred substance abuse based on what they saw.

Dan Dakich replied to an Irsay claim that jealousy fuels the attacks.

It’s odd that the rich often use words like “jealousy” and “envy” to explain why they are disliked.  That they see their lives as somehow more valuable because of their money is strange.  I’ve known a lot of rich people and a lot of poor people, and I’ve never noticed any correlation between money and happiness – or money and the ability to live a worthy life.

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I have no envy for Irsay at all.  The majority of people he talks to are nice to him because they want something from him.  So often, the wealthy incorrectly assess the quality of the people with whom they deal.  “He’s a great guy!” is something I’ve heard the wealthy say to describe the absolute worst people I’ve ever met.  No, they are great guys to you because they want something from you.  That means that trust is almost impossible, and life is lonely.

Here are a couple of pointers for Jim Irsay:

  • Don’t tweet anything but trivia for prizes – implying that people should be jealous of you is petty, cheap, and presumptive.
  • Don’t trust anyone because you can’t.  When you pay people, most do what will please you because of the cash – not because they like and respect you.
  • Understand that every time you draw attention to yourself, people are going to mock you.  That’s the way the media works.  If you are going to talk, you should understand that many people are going to be confused by what you say.  You are a smart guy, but your logic is circuitous, and you take 15 minutes to answer simple questions.  Nothing wrong with that, but the media deals in :15 soundbites, and picking a single sentence that answers the question is going to cause problems because it will be incomplete.
  • Don’t sit in the dark during games – it makes people believe you have something to hide.  Controlling your behavior shouldn’t be so difficult that people seeing it is a concern.
  • Don’t credential yourself.  Bill Polian quoted Marv Levy last week, saying, “Your actions will always speak louder than your words.”  The proof is always in the pudding, and you have shown a wonderful acumen for letting your football people make football decisions.    Hire great people and give them the tools necessary to do their jobs at the highest level, and then get the hell out of the way.  Tweeting as you did below is ridiculous.

Owning is lonely because who tells you that you are doing a good job?  The reward is in the joy your leadership provides your employees.  That is going to have to be your validation because you can’t trust praise from underlings.

No cash needed for the unsolicited advice.  I’m good just like I am.

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